Weft change box mechanism for looms for weaving



Oct. 28, 1952 F. s. EVES 2,615,475

WEFT CHANGE BOX MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Filed July 25, 1950 9Sheets-Sheet l Attorneys Oct, 28, 1952 F. s. EVES 2,615,475

WEF T CHANGE BOX MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Filed July 25, 1950 9Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor:

@JAM 0 M /W Attorneys F. S. EVES Oct. 28, 1952 WEIFT CHANGE BOXMECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 25, 1950 Invenlor: Zkmm/cK 5 w/I/[YZ 1 [5 Attorneys Oct. 28, 1952 s, v s 2,615,475

WEFT CHANGE BOX MECHANISM FOR LOQMS FOR WEAVING Filed July 25, 1950 9Sheets-Sheet 4 In van for: fiZALP/CK Kym H [ms Attorneys Oct. 28, 1952F. s. EVES 2,615,475

WEFT CHANGE BOX MECHANISM FOR LOOMS F OR WEAVING Filed July 25, 1950 9Sheets-Sheet 5 I nvenlor: fkmm/cx Syn/v0 1f vzs Attorneys 9 Sheets-Sheet6 F. S. EVES WEFT CHANGE BOX MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Ill-l IlllF/G. v

Oct. 28, 1952 Filed July 25, 1950 Inventor femm/M Sm/W [v15 AttorneysOct. 28, 1952 F. s. EVES 2,615,475

WEFT CHANGE BOX MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Filed July 25, 1950 9Sheets-Sheet 7 I XE B @244 M M Attorneys 011.28, 1952 F. s. EVES ,6 5,

WEFT CHANGE BOX MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Filed July 25, 1950 9Sheets-Sheet 8 In ven tor.- Z'PMM/Z'A Sm/rf/ [ms Attorneys Patented Oct.28, 1952 WEFT CHANGE BOX MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING FrederickSydney Eves, Bangor, Northern Ireland,

assignor to Munster Simms & Company Limited, Belfast, Northern IrelandApplication July 25, 1950, Serial No. 175,731 In Great Britain December29, 1948 14 Claims.

This invention relates to weft change box mechanisms for looms forweaving.

An object of the invention is to provide a change box mechanism which isself-contained and can be readily applied to existing looms of varioustypes and sizes.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, but merely by wayof example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic end View of a loom for weaving.

Fig. 1A is a diagrammatic plan view of the change box mechanism on theloom sley.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the hydraulic transmitter of the change boxmechanism.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the transmitter.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line VV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5A is a sectional detail of the top right hand corner of Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectiona1 elevation of the hydraulic transmitter.

Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of the change box mechanism on the loomsley.

Fig. 10 is an end view of the arrangement of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the arrangement of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line XIIXII of Fig. 9.

Figs. 13 and 14 are sectional detail views of the loom stop motionmechanism.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view of a return valve for the hydraulic system.

Referring to the drawings:

The loom (Fig. 1) has a main shaft I, a sley 2 which oscillates aboutthe axis 3 and a picker arm 4 which oscillates about the axis 5. Thepicker 6 on the arm 4 engages a shuttle in a two-shuttle change box Iwhich is slidable horizontally on guide rods 8 and co-operates with asingle-shuttle change box (not shown) at the opposite side of the loom,for two-shuttle operation of the loom. A palm 9 pivoted at H) on thesley 2 is urged to a position such that during its movement with thesley it contacts an abutment II and stops the loom in the usual manner.

Suitably mounted alongside the loom on adadjustable leg supports HA isan hydraulic pump or pulse-transmitter 12 which includes a plunger l3(Fig. 8), and distributor and disablin valves l4 and I5 respectively(Fig. 5). The plunger [3 (Fig. 8) which has a spring-urged inlet platevalve |3A is actuated by a cam re on the loom shaft I, in synchronismwith the loom mechanism, through a follower IT, a lever l8 carrying thefollower, and a return spring l9 urgin the follower against the cam. Theplunger [3 in located in a cylinder 20 immersed in an oil sump or casing2| subject to the pressure of a compressed air vessel 22 (Fig. 5)located on top of the casing and provided with an air pump 23. Theplunger l3 (Fig. 8) sucks oil in from the casing 2| and delivers into aconduit 24 through an outlet check valve 25. The conduit 24 leads to thedistributor valve M (Fig. 5) and has a relief valve 26 therein. Thedouble-waisted piston of the valve [4 is movable between two positions.In one of said positions communication is elfected between theconduit 24and a conduit-2l leading to one end of a slave cylinder 28 (Figs. 1A, 9,10 and 12) mounted on the shuttle lbox carrier 29 with its axishorizontal and lying in the direction of the sley movement. In the otherof said positions of the piston of valve I4 communication is effectedbetween the conduit 24-and a conduit 30 leading to the other end of theslave cylinder 28. In the cylinder 28 is a slave piston 3| (Fig. 12)with piston rods 32 projecting through glands, 33 at each end of thecylinder 28. It will thus be understood that each pulse or delivery fromthe transmitter moves the slave piston 31 in one or other direction inaccordance with the position of the distributor valve I4. One end of apiston rod 32 is connected at 34 to the slidably mounted shuttle box 1adapted to contain two shuttles one or other of which is located inpickin position depending upon whether the piston 3| is at one end orthe other of the slave cylinder 28.

It is important that the slave piston 3i be properly positioned andheld. atthe ends of its cylinder 28. To ensure this the plunger [3 isadapted to deliver more oil to the cylinder 28 than is necessary, theexcess oil escaping through a relief valve 35 (Fig. 12), through aconduit 36, through the casing of a light-spring check valve 31 to bedescribed later, and through a conduit 38 to the casing or sump 2|.Furthermore, spring-urged detents 39 are provided at each end of theslave cylinder 28, said detents engaging in correspondingly shapedgrooves 49 in the piston 3| to hold the piston, and being formed asplungers at 39A so that the effect of the oil pulse is firstautomatically to disengage the detent from its groove and then move thepiston. A screwed lifting cap 4! is also provided whereby the detent 39can be manually disengaged when it is desired to traverse the shuttlebox I manually. Inasmuch as the slave cylinder 28 is moved along itsaxis during the sley movement, the end glands 33 must be such as toprevent the inertia effect on the oil inside from sucking air into thecylinder. The spring-urged relief valve 35 is manually adjustable bymeans of a handle 42 on top of the cylinder .28 to enable air to becleared out of the system at the start of operations under the efiect ofthe air pressure on the oil in the casing or sump 2|. The distributorpiston valve l4 (Fig. is spring-urged at 43 and moved as.

between the two positions .by a square cam and ratchet mechanism 44(Figs. 5 and 5A) operated from the dobby or equivalent weft controlmechanism of the loom through a chain 45. This mechanism 64 is mountedon a shaft 44A and comprises a pawl 46 actuated from the dobby throughthe chain 45 and casing 41 to cause stepwise rotation of a ratchet 48and a square cam 49 so that a corner and flat of the cam 49 alternatelyengage a follower 50 on a pivoted lever 5| which actuates the valve l4.The casing i! is returned by a spring 52. Each of said outlet passages21 and 3!] in addition to communicating with the slave cylinder 28 alsocommunicates with a bore 53 in the casing of valve 14, said bore 53containing the slidable disabling valve 15 with two transverse passages55, and said bore 53 having two relief passages 56 opposite the said twooutlet passages 2'1 and 30. In one position of the disabling valve I5,the transverse passages 55 are in register with the outlet and reliefpassages 21, 39 and 56 and in this case the pulse from the plunger l3simply circulates back to the sump 2| without actuating the slave piston3!. In its other position, the disabling valve l5 blocks the outlet andreliefpassages 21, 30 and 56 so that the pulse from the plunger I3 istransmitted to one or other end of the slave cylinder 28 depending onthe position of the distributor valve M. The disabling valve [5 iscontrolled by a cam 5'1 having eight swells and intervening recesses andwhich is keyed to the shaft 44A so as to be actuated, in unison with thesquare cam 49, from the ratchet dobby mechanism 44. The cam 5'! engagesa follower 58 on a pivoted lever 59 which actuates the valve l5 througha lostmotion spring 54. The swells of cam 51 are so disposed that thedisabling valve i5 is moved down to blocking position before the pulsepasses through the dsitributor valve M. The disabling valve I5 is thenheld down in this position by a spring toggle mechanism 60 at itse lowerend while the swell of cam 51 moves clear of the follower 58. The togglemechanism 69 consists of a bell crank lever 61 pivoted at 62, a camfollower 63 on the lever 6| engageable by a cam 64 on the shaft l, aconnection 65 between the valve l5 and the lever BI, and a slidable pin68 urged into a slot in the lever 61 by a spring 61. After the pulse hasbeen transmitted, the toggle mechanism 69 is knocked up by the cam 64,past its dead-centre position to the holding position shown in thedrawing, and the disabling valve I5 is thus lifted to and held in thedisabling position by the toggle mechanism, this upward movement beingpossible because the actuating swell of the disabling valve cam 5! hasmoved clear and brought the next cam recess into position 4 with respectto the cam follower 58, as shown in Fig. 5A.

The arrangement described above provides a flexible arrangement asregards the sequence of Weft shots. The shuttle boxes may be simplyalternated or either may be left in position for as many shots as may bedesired, by appropriate movement of the cam 51.

The arrangement described is also adapted for an alternative controlinstead of the do-bby mechanism. For mixed weaving wherein the shuttleboxes are simply alternated a dobby mechanism is not required and analternative simple control is provided as follows:

At the foot of the waisted distributor valve 14 an eye 68 (Fig. 5) isprovided for engagement by one end of a bell crank 69 of which the otherend is adapted for actuation at half the frequency of the pump pulses bymeans of a cam 10 mounted on a shaft 10A and driven from the shaft Ithrough toothed gearing H. The disabling valve 15 has a lever 12 at itstop end whereby it may be turned either manually or by some loomactuatedmechanism through 90 so that, although the valve continues to beactuated in the manner already described and assumes its upper disablingposition, it does not in fact disable the plunger I3 but blocks theoutlet passages 2'! and 30. Thus, with this arrangement the shuttleboxes are simply alternated. The pivot 13 of the bell crank 69 iscarried by a mounting M which is slidable in an opening 2 LA in thecasing 2|, is positioned relative to the casing by distance pieces 75,and is secured to the casing by screws 76. With the distance pieces inposition as shown, one arm of the crank 69 is held clear of the cam 10without disconnecting the other arm from the eye 68 of the distributorvalve l4. By removal of the distance pieces 15 and tightening of thescrews 76, the crank 69 is moved into operative association with the cam10. It will thus be understood that the valve arrangement abovedescribed can be readily changed from dobby control to the alternativecontrol or vice versa.

Hydraulic stop mechanism for stopping the loom on failure of the shuttleto enter the box consists of a quick-acting spring returnpulset'ransmitting plunger ll (Fig. 8) actuated by a quick-lift cam 18and rocker 19 and mounted on the casing 2| and driven from the shaft insynchronism with the loom mechanism to deliver a pulse at the time theshuttle should enter the box. The pulse is delivered along a conduitwhich returns to the sump or oil supply through a relief valve 8l andwhich has connection with a chamber 82 containing a spring-loaded slaveplunger 83 which abuts a tail 84 on the palm 9. This palm 9 is normallyurged to a position such that during its movement with the sley arm 2 itcontacts the abutment II and stops the loom in the usual manner. Beyondits connection with the chamber 82 the conduit 80 passes through a valvecasing 85 which contains a check ball valve 86 which is normally heldopen against spring action by a tapp'et 81 actuated by a lever 88pivoted at 89 spring-urged at 98A, and lying across the top of theshuttle box 1. The lever 88 has a projection 90' engagea'ble (accordingto which shuttle is in operative position) by either of two bell cranks9|, 92, one for each shuttle. These bell cranks 9| and 92 arespring-urged at 93 by springs each stronger than the spring 83A, and areactuable by the shuttle box swells 94 which are actuated by entry or theshuttle into the box 1. The cranks 9i and 92 are connected to the swells94; by pini and slot-connections as'iat 95, and one or bther of thecranks :9I, 92v is engaged with the projection 90 depending upon, whichshuttle is in action, that is, depending upon the position of thebox'l.i The valve casing 85 also contains a spring-controlled adjustablerelief valve 96.

If the shuttle enters the box I properly the corresponding'bell crank 9Ior' 92 and the lever 90 are moved to allow the check valve 85 tocloseunder the action of its spring. Thus the pulse of oil from the plunger.11 creates. a rise in pressure and actuates the slave plunger 83against its spring to lift the palm 9 clear of the abutment I I, thusallowing the loom. tocontinue in operation. On the other hand, if theshuttle does not enter the box I, the valve 86 remains open, so that theoil returns through a conduit 97 and through the check valve 31 andconduit 38, to the casing 2| without actuating the slave plunger 83 andthus the palm 9 engages the abutment I I and stops the loom.

The check valve 31 provided between the stop motion valve 86 and thesump or main casing 26 is controlled by a light spring 98 (Fig. 15).

The various conduits from the transmitter l2 (Fig.- l) are led up thesley 2 and incorporate flexible portions (not shown) to allow the sleymovement.

The arrangement described is for two shuttle operation, there being asingle-shuttle box at the opposite side of the loom. In a modified forma two-shuttle box 1 controlled as described may be arranged at each sideof the loom to enable three-shuttle operation and also for pick andpick. working. 7

The hydraulic mechanism as described is readily applicable to varioustypes and sizes of looms because owing to its hydraulic operation it islargely independent of the loom dimensions and is self -contained.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 4, the drive to the shaft I is taken from a gearwheel 98 on the loom main shaft through a coupling 99 incorporating adriving ring I allowing for a substantial degree of misalignment, andincorporating a fine, angular Vernier-type setting adjustment device inthe form of a pin I99 extending through flanges I02 having differentnumbers of pin holes. Thus, timing the mechanism to the loom issimplified.

I claim:

1. A change box mechanism for attachment to a loom, comprising a changebox movable to predetermined positions to bring the desired the loommechanism, for supplying hydraulic pulses to position the slave pistonand cylinder device and comprising plunger means for creating thepulses, and distributor valve means located between the plunger meansand the slave cylinder and positionable to direct any pulse to eitherend of the slave cylinder.

2. A change box mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the distributorvalve means comprises a distributor valve operatively connected with theweft-control mechanism of the loom.

3. A change box mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the distributorvalve means includes a disabling valve positionable to allow any pulseto be supplied to the slave cylinder or to be returned to the source ofoil without actuating the slave piston, and operatively connected to theweft-control mechanism of the loom.

1.4.. .A change box mechanismaccording to claim 3, wherein thedistributor valve is adapted for alternative operativeconnection withthedriven part of the loom, and the disabling valve is adapted formovement to a non-operative position. 2

g 5. A change box mechanism according to claim 4, wherein thealternative operative connection ofthe distributor valve comprises abell crank lever cam actuated from the loomshaft and having an armoperatively connected with and slid-.- able relatively to thedistributorvalve, said lever being movable towards and from an operativeposition relative to, the cam while maintaining operative connection,with the distributor valve. 6. A change box mechanism for attachment toa loom, comprising a change box movable to predetermined positions tobring the desired shuttle into register with the picker, a slave pistonand cylinder device for moving the box, plunger means for supplyinghydraulic pulses to position the slave piston and cylinder device, adistributor valve located between the plunger means and the slavecylinder and positionable to direct. any pulse to either end of theslave cylinder, a disabling valve positionable to allow any pulse to besupplied to the slave cylinder or to be returned to the source of oilwithout actuating the slave piston, and a pair of rotatable control camsoperable in unison from the weftcontrol mechanism of the loom toposition respectively the distributor and disabling valves.

7. A change box mechanism according to claim 6, having a toggle deviceadapted to maintain the disabling valve in blocking, position andcamactuable from the loom shaft to move the disabling valve to, andmaintain same in the disabling position.

8. A change box mechanism according to claim '7, wherein the plungermeans is adapted to deliver more oil'than is necessary to move the slavepiston to the other end of the slave cylinder, and a relief valve on thecylinder provides for discharge of the excess oil.

9. A change box mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the slavecylinder has spring-urged detent means for positively holding the slavepiston in the end positions, said detent means being adapted fordisengagement by the hydraulic pulse which thereafter pushes the pistonto the other end of the cylinder.

10. A change box mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the detentmeans are adapted for manual disengagement.

11. A change box mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the slavepiston has piston rods projecting through'glands at each end of thecylinder, said glands preventing the inertia effect of the oil forsucking air into the cylinder.

12. A change box mechanism according to claim 11, having a manuallyoperable relief valve on the slave cylinder and having the oil reservoirof the plunger means under air pressure, whereby air maybe cleared outof the hydraulic system at the start of operations.

13. An hydraulically actuable control device for the stopmechanism of aloom, comprising hydraulic pulse-supplying means actuable from a drivenpart of the loom in synchronism with the loom mechanism, slave pistonand cylinder means in operative connection withsaid stop mechanism andsaid pulse-supplying means, and valve means connected to said piston andcylinder means and actuable in accordance with the presence or absenceof the shuttle in the box to control the movement of said piston andcylinder means.

14. An hydraulic control device for an adjustable loom part movable withthe sley, for example a change box, said device comprising an hydraulicpulse supplier drivably connectible to the loom, a slave piston andcylinder device mounted on the sley and operatively associated with theadjustable loom part to effect adjustment of said part, conduit meansextending from the supplier to said piston and cylinder device andallowing movement of the sley, valve means on the sley for controllingthe fluid supply to said piston and cylinder device, and control meansfor the valve means adapted for actuation on 15 2 42 7 operation of theloom so as to effect adjustment of the loom part when required.

FREDERICK SYDNEY EVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS m Number Name Date 1,600,378 Wells 1 Sept. 21,1926 2,247,140 Twyman June 24, 1941 2,332,532 Roehm Oct. 26, 19432,416,933 Lynam et al Mar. 4, 1947 Hindle Aug. 12, 1947

